Sydney power under threat as fires destroy substations
Electricity supplies in New South Wales were under threat after fires took out substations and brought down transmission lines in the part connected to Victoria.
Australia: Electricity supplies in Australia’s most populous state, including its largest city Sydney, were under threat after bushfires took out two substations with authorities warning of rolling blackouts if conditions worsen.
The blazes have raged across New South Wales, and they brought down transmission lines in the state’s south connecting with neighbouring Victoria, state energy minister Matt Kean tweeted.
Kean urged people to reduce unnecessary electricity use and “turn off pool pumps, lights in unoccupied rooms and avoid using washing machines and dishwashers”.
TransGrid chief executive Paul Italiano said the system was coping but “under stress”.
He warned the loss of another major power station could mean load shedding power cuts to prevent the electricity grid from collapsing.
“It is no longer operating as a single national electricity market and that has compromised the availability of energy to New South Wales,”said Italiano.
Source: Money Control